This old cabinet photo card is a handsome portrait of Ulysses Roy Lockard, from Columbia, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Ulysses was born 26 July 1892, the son of Ulysses G. and Lee Emma Roy Lockard. He seems so sad and pensive in the picture. It looks like his dark frilly shirt, or blouse, was of a black fabric, and his neatly cut hair was blonde. It was said that the Lockards were originally from Germany, but at this time it is unclear who was the first Lockard to settle in Lancaster County. His mother’s side, the Roy or Roye family, came over from France to Lancaster County in the 19th century.

This beautiful photograph was rescued from a shop in Columbia, by Melissa Fitzkee in 2007, and in turn sent to me, since she saw my family tree with the Lockard family. When folks do something like this, researchers call it “random acts of genealogy kindness” and it is always nice in turn, to do another kind act. All Ms. Fitzkee asked was the amount of money the photo cost her to purchase, and the shipping fee. From the sheet of research she did beforehand, and enclosed, I can tell she is a fellow sleuth.

The photographer was from the Pannebecker Studios, in Nanticoke, Luzerne County, PA. It could have been Samuel K. Pannebecker – who died in 1918, or his son, William H. Pannebecker, who also worked at the family studio from about 1900 – 1910 [Source: http://www.lancasterhistory.org ].

My blog posting last week was about Washington Lockard. Ulysses G. Lockard (this young boy’s father) was his nephew. Ulysses G. Lockard (1867-1892) was the son of John and Margaret Hammons Lockard, of East Donegal Township, in Lancaster County. Ulysses Roy Lockard had signed his name in a childish cursive on the back, and that was a great help in identification. The pencil marks, showing circa 1895-96, were most likely written down by the antique shop owner, along with the price in the other corner. It is a mystery to me as to what the numbers in black represent.

The last record I can find of Lee Emma Roy Lockard, is from the 1900 Federal Census when she, and her son, Ulysses Roy Lockard, were living with her eighty-two year old grandfather, Henry Roy, in Columbia. In the 1898 Lancaster City Directory she was listed under Lee E. Lockard (Wid. Ulysses). It is possible she died soon after the 1900 Federal Census, or she could have re-married, but at this time I can’t find a record of her death [Sources: ancestry.com].

Ms. Fitzkee thought that Ulysses Roy Lockard most likely died during World War One, since the last record she found was his WWI Draft Registration Card, and she was correct. When looking for information about grave locations there are two very good resources. One is called Find-A-Grave and the other BillionGraves.com. At the second one, I found Ulysses Roy Lockard under the listing U.Roy Lockard, and he was killed during the war in France. He was buried at the Mount Bethel Cemetery, in Columbia, PA, along with his father. Here’s the link and a copy of the photo of the gravestone, but it doesn’t give the name of the grave photographer: http://billiongraves.com/pages/record/person/847485

A fantastic place to do research on Lancaster County, Pennsylvania families is the Lancaster County Historical Society, at 230 North President Avenue, Lancaster, PA. I’ve always found the staff to be extremely helpful with any questions. The next step in researching this family would be to look for any obituaries published in 1918 after Ulysses Roy Lockard was killed in France during World War One. That’s what makes genealogy research so enjoyable – there’s always more to find out.